Tangled

240 Ava: Sister Miriam is Angry

Chapter 30Magister Orion doesn't bat an eye when we tell him that we want to get in touch

with Sister Mirlam.

Two hours later, we're back in Sister Miriam's strange mansion, just outside of the Fae Ward.

We all try calling people again, but nothing but voicemails answer us.

Selene rolls against the cool floor, groaning in relief. So much easier to breathe here. Pity. I do like it there.

"Sorry." Watching her writhe around to soothe her itchy skin gives me something to do while we wait for Sister Miriam's arrival.

Layla is back, hunched over a pile of papers she dragged with her, marking through various papers with terrifying efficiency. I'm not even sure if she's reading what's on the pages. Just flip, sign, flip, flip, sign. Every so often she sets one to the side after writing REJECTED in large letters at the top of the

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"Their language is fascinating." Vanessa murmurs, also watching the gnome work.

"Language?" Startled, I glance at the healer. "She hasn't said a word."

Our whispers echo through the room. It's impossible for Layla not to hear everything we're saying, yet we continue to whisper.

"Her writing," she corrects me. "Those letters-you called them runes?-are so interesting. She writes them so quickly, but they're so intricate and detailed."

Glancing at the papers again, I squint my eyes.

It takes a while for me to realize that Layla is, in fact, writing in the strange language of theirs, and not in English.

That can't be possible. I'm reading everything she's writing with such case, as though it were already in English. How?

Affinity, Selene explains with a yawn. You've accessed your magic. You've gained an

understanding of the language it encompasses.

How is that possible? Unlock magic and an entire language just appears in your head?

Precisely.

I'd ask Magister Orion a few questions if he was here, but he's not, so I shelve them for now. It's a strange thing, but not nearly as important as what we're here for.

The sharp click of heels against the floor announces Sister Miriam's arrival before she even enters the room. Selene, who's been rolling around on the floor, suddenly sits up straight, her posture prim and proper. I can't help but smile at her antics.

My amusement fades quickly as Sister Miriam steps into view. I blink, taken aback by her

240 Ava Sister Miriam is Andy

appearance. Gone are the vintage dresses I've grown accustomed to seeing her in. Instead, she's wearing a loose shirt and jeans. It's so... normal. So un-Sister Miriam-like that for a moment, I wonder if this is some sort of illusion.

"Good evening," she greets us, her tone cool and polite. Her red eyes lock onto mine. "Is there a problem, Ava?"

How much should I reveal? I'm not sure. Glancing at Vanessa and Marcus, whose faces are blank, I launch into a question first.

"Sister Miriam, is the city at war with shifters?"

Her reaction is immediate. Her eyes widen, and she takes an involuntary step forward, so intense that it steals my breath away for a moment as her eyes darken and her usual composure cracks, showing her fury. But there's surprise, too.

"Why would you ask such a question?" she demands, her voice sharp with intensity. Then, as if catching herself, she quickly adds, "I've heard nothing about any war, but that doesn't something isn't happening. Quickly, explain."

Her fingers twitch, and her eyes dart around the room as if searching for unseen threats,

I've never seen her agitated.

She knows something

"There have been strange rogue attacks on my pack, I explain, the words tumbling out in a rush. "And I can't get in touch with anyone. No one's answering their phones?

Sister Miriam's gaze snaps to Layla, who's been watching our exchange instead of working on her papers. "What's going on?" she demands, her tone sharp and bordering on rude.

Layla jumps to her feet, her small form quivering. "I don't know of anything, I swear!"

Sister Miriam's eyes narrow as she studies the gnome. After a few seconds, she must decide that she believes her, because she barks out orders. "Find out what's happening and see if Alpha Renard and his brood are still in the city. Now"

With a snap of Sister Miriam's fingers, Layla vanishes the sudden

into un air, I blink, startled b disappearance.

Sister Miriam turns back to me, tension radiating from her every movement. She's almost shaking with anger, but it makes no sense.

It's my pack in danger. Why is she so angry?

"Why did you call for me?" she asks, her voice tight. I'm sure there's a reason."

Before I can respond, Marcus steps forward. "Selene wants to run recon, try to establish a connection with our pack" he explains, gesturing to my husky. "But she'd need a way back into the city Sister Miriam's gaze falls on Selene, and I'm shocked by the blatant dislike that twists her

eatures. It's the most open display of emotion I've ever seen from her. For a long moment, she Just glares at Selene, who stares back, unperturbed.

240 Ava: Sister Miriam is Angry

She's upset, Selene observes, like that isn't obvious. But it isn't at us. She has murderous intent toward someone, though.

Finally, Sister Miriam lets out a long sigh. "Fine," she says, the word sounding as if it's been dragged out of her. "I'm willing to travel with the... wolf. It shouldn't take long with both of us looking into the situation."

Then her eyes snap back to me. "Tell me everything you know," she demands. "Every detail, no matter how small. For attacks to occur without my knowledge means that someone is tampering in my information network. This is not a good thing, Ava."

Her grim words only cement the foreboding in my heart, but I ask, "Why?"

Sister Miriam's sigh breaks the tense silence, her gaze softening slightly as she looks at Selene. The change in her demeanor is subtle, but noticeable.

"My information network," she begins, her voice measured, "operates independently of wolves or the city. These are individuals loyal only to me."

I feel a chill run down my spine at her words. Just how extensive is her reach?

"I have priority on information from both Blackwood and Westwood," she continues. "Yet, I've received no word of any attacks. This can only mean one thing: someone has either infiltrated or destroyed my network. And if that's the case, I'm working blind."

Her red eyes lock onto mine, piercing and intense. "Who, Ava, would be interested in keeping me out of this situation?"

The answer comes to me instantly. "Alpha Renard," I blurt out.

Sister Miriam shakes her head, a look of disdain crossing her features. "No, he's far too stupid to orchestrate something like this."

Her dismissal of one of the strongest alphas in the Northwestern Territories should bring me some satisfaction, but I'm too focused on the puzzle in front of me. If not him, then who?

"Who lost their toy?" Sister Miriam asks, her tone cryptic.

The realization hits me like a punch to the gut.

Lisa.

"The Mad Prince," I whisper, feeling the blood drain from my face.

Sister Miriam's grimace confirms my worst fears. "He was supposed to be chasing his prey for longer," she mutters. "Something must have happened"

Marcus interjects this time. "What are you saying?"

Sister Miriam's explanation sends ice through my veins. "The Mad Prince has an obsession with those blessed by the Fae. Their blood increases his power." She pauses, her eyes distant. "His life's goal has always been to create a harem of Fae-touched thralls to give him power. But very few of his prisoners have survived his... unique torments."

My heart shatters at the implications. What has Lisa been through, because it took so long to

240 Ava: Sister Miriam is Angry

Sister Miriam's voice softens slightly, perhaps sensing my distress. "Since he enjoys playing with his food, it's likely she was only mildly harmed before I lured him away with something he would have found irresistible"

Hope flickers in my chest, fragile but persistent. "Is that irresistible thing real?" I ask, desperate for any shred of good news.

Sister Miriam's smile sends shivers through my body. It's not comforting; it's predatory, full of secrets and hidden meanings.

"Oh, it's very real, she purrs, her eyes glinting with an emotion I can't quite place. "And far more dangerous than the Mad Prince could ever imagine."